Microsoft locked users into Windows 8 once you have upgraded or did a clean install, since all Windows 8 hardware will be shipping with UEFI secure boot enabled by default. Furthermore, the Windows 8 operating system install will modify your BIOS to use UEFI by default. If you have a newer hardware system with newer UEFI bios support, you MUST change your BIOS setting to boot the Windows 7 system disk using Legacy BIOS settings. Failure to do this will result in the install locking up at the first screen. This is true even if you try to do the install of Windows 7 from Windows 8 by loading your Windows 7 system install disk and running SETUP. You will think all is well, until the system is ready to boot into Windows 7 for the first time. It then locks up again.

If you are an unfortunate one that loaded Windows 8 on a hardware with a legacy BIOS, there is no option to reset the BIOS from UEFI BIOS to Legacy. The only choice you have is to re-flash your BIOS, since the Windows 8 install has already updated it to UEFI to support their Secure Boot feature.

Re-flashing your BIOS back to it's previous version should allow you to do a clean boot of Windows 7, in most cases.

By the way, the above is true for Windows XP and VISTA (thank you very much, Microsoft!!)

GOOD LUCK! I'm told The Geek Squad charges $150.00 for this, and further advises ALL legacy hardware owners NOT to upgrade to Windows 8.

Microsoft locked users into Windows 8 once you have upgraded or did a clean install, since all Windows 8 hardware will be shipping with UEFI secure boot enabled by default. Furthermore, the Windows 8 operating system install will modify your BIOS to use UEFI by default. If you have a newer hardware system with newer UEFI bios support, you MUST change your BIOS setting to boot the Windows 7 system disk using Legacy BIOS settings. Failure to do this will result in the install locking up at the first screen. This is true even if you try to do the install of Windows 7 from Windows 8 by loading your Windows 7 system install disk and running SETUP. You will think all is well, until the system is ready to boot into Windows 7 for the first time. It then locks up again.

If you are an unfortunate one that loaded Windows 8 on a hardware with a legacy BIOS, there is no option to reset the BIOS from UEFI BIOS to Legacy. The only choice you have is to re-flash your BIOS, since the Windows 8 install has already updated it to UEFI to support their Secure Boot feature.

Re-flashing your BIOS back to it's previous version should allow you to do a clean boot of Windows 7, in most cases.

By the way, the above is true for Windows XP and VISTA (thank you very much, Microsoft!!)

GOOD LUCK! I'm told The Geek Squad charges $150.00 for this, and further advises ALL legacy hardware owners NOT to upgrade to Windows 8.

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I have installed windows 8 multiple times and it didn't flash a UEFI bios to my motherboard?

Microsoft locked users into Windows 8 once you have upgraded or did a clean install, since all Windows 8 hardware will be shipping with UEFI secure boot enabled by default. Furthermore, the Windows 8 operating system install will modify your BIOS to use UEFI by default. If you have a newer hardware system with newer UEFI bios support, you MUST change your BIOS setting to boot the Windows 7 system disk using Legacy BIOS settings. Failure to do this will result in the install locking up at the first screen. This is true even if you try to do the install of Windows 7 from Windows 8 by loading your Windows 7 system install disk and running SETUP. You will think all is well, until the system is ready to boot into Windows 7 for the first time. It then locks up again.

If you are an unfortunate one that loaded Windows 8 on a hardware with a legacy BIOS, there is no option to reset the BIOS from UEFI BIOS to Legacy. The only choice you have is to re-flash your BIOS, since the Windows 8 install has already updated it to UEFI to support their Secure Boot feature.

Re-flashing your BIOS back to it's previous version should allow you to do a clean boot of Windows 7, in most cases.

By the way, the above is true for Windows XP and VISTA (thank you very much, Microsoft!!)

GOOD LUCK! I'm told The Geek Squad charges $150.00 for this, and further advises ALL legacy hardware owners NOT to upgrade to Windows 8.]

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I have installed and uninstalled Windows 8 (various versions)... None have change the bios, tables, or anything on the systems.

There is No problem uninstalling win8d and reinstalling win8. The problem comes when you want to install any other operating system on that same system. The Secure Boot feature doesn't allow you to do it, as it freezes up.

You can verify that the BIOS has been changed by disconnecting the hard drive prior to beginning the win 7 install from CD. When you do this, the install freezes at the first screen.

All subsequent win 8 installs proceed normally.

As a side note: Windows Home Server 2011 Restore is also useless as it does not support UEFI SECURE BOOT. I was able to use Windows Home Server 2011 with Win8, as Backups seemed to perform normally. However, these backups are useless since RESTORE does not boot, and freezes up.

+1 for the Start menu route. Using W8 + Start8. Tested about 6 programs and it's the best I found.

There's a few more things you need to do, like set the default programs (all files default to metro apps, for example clicking on a jpg opens the images app instead of the previewer) but once you customize it to your liking is practically indistinguishable from W7.

There is No problem uninstalling win8d and reinstalling win8. The problem comes when you want to install any other operating system on that same system. The Secure Boot feature doesn't allow you to do it, as it freezes up.

You can verify that the BIOS has been changed by disconnecting the hard drive prior to beginning the win 7 install from CD. When you do this, the install freezes at the first screen.

All subsequent win 8 installs proceed normally.

As a side note: Windows Home Server 2011 Restore is also useless as it does not support UEFI SECURE BOOT. I was able to use Windows Home Server 2011 with Win8, as Backups seemed to perform normally. However, these backups are useless since RESTORE does not boot, and freezes up.

My system:

SHUTTLE 67h3 with I5-2500 and 12 gb

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False again, I have installed and reinstall windows 8/7/linux many times in the past 2-3 months without a single issue.

Microsoft locked users into Windows 8 once you have upgraded or did a clean install, since all Windows 8 hardware will be shipping with UEFI secure boot enabled by default. Furthermore, the Windows 8 operating system install will modify your BIOS to use UEFI by default. If you have a newer hardware system with newer UEFI bios support, you MUST change your BIOS setting to boot the Windows 7 system disk using Legacy BIOS settings. Failure to do this will result in the install locking up at the first screen. This is true even if you try to do the install of Windows 7 from Windows 8 by loading your Windows 7 system install disk and running SETUP. You will think all is well, until the system is ready to boot into Windows 7 for the first time. It then locks up again.

If you are an unfortunate one that loaded Windows 8 on a hardware with a legacy BIOS, there is no option to reset the BIOS from UEFI BIOS to Legacy. The only choice you have is to re-flash your BIOS, since the Windows 8 install has already updated it to UEFI to support their Secure Boot feature.

Re-flashing your BIOS back to it's previous version should allow you to do a clean boot of Windows 7, in most cases.

By the way, the above is true for Windows XP and VISTA (thank you very much, Microsoft!!)

GOOD LUCK! I'm told The Geek Squad charges $150.00 for this, and further advises ALL legacy hardware owners NOT to upgrade to Windows 8.

Click to expand...

Are you sure? I installed W8 on my backup rig for a while and could go back to W7 with no problems, no BIOS flashing, no CMOS resetting, nothing. My backup rig is as legacy as it gets: LGA775 865PE board, DDR1 RAM, AGP slot, SATA1 ports, floppy, etc., etc. Only reason as to why I went back to W7 was because fast boot didn't play nice with the board (it actually took longer than normal boot) and I felt as if the system "stuttered" from time to time. I don't fault W8 for that thought, it's a wonder that it worked as good as it did on that old hardware:

W8 works but has some rugged edges on this board. Haven't got BSODs but you can tell the system isn't performing 100%. Sometimes it takes a while for the system to acknowledge commands, like CTRl+ALt+Supr and startup times are longer than W7. I don't fault W8 for this though; it wasn't supposed to support such an old chipset.

this thread makes me wanna upgrade, but is it really worth it? does 8 use up less resources? if i could make 8 look like 7 im in.

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If you're happy with W7 don't bother. I wouldn't have upgraded myself if not for the $15 upgrade offer but I haven't found a reason to go back to W7 either. It took me about a week to tame W8 though but after that it's a smooth sailing. Start8 skips the Start screen and boots directly to Desktop, haven't seen a metro app in ages.

Microsoft has done its own implementation of secure boot for reasons it refuses to divulge; the public statements are that it is done for the security of users. A process of matching of cryptographic keys takes place at boot-time to ensure that one is booting a genuine copy of Windows 8 and that it has not been tampered with.

All Windows 8 PCs or laptops that are sold by grey-box or other dealers come with secure boot turned on. This means that one cannot install another operating system, either to replace Windows or as an addition, on the same box. Not unless the operating system can boot on a box that is configured for secure boot. Else, one has to get into the UEFI BIOS and turn off secure boot. This is possible on the x86 platform.

Motherboard manufacturers appear to be loath to use the term "secure boot" on their packaging; ASUS has a "Windows 8 ready" sticker on some boxes, with an instruction that readiness may depend on the updating of the BIOS or the installation of drivers.

My guess is that you are using a pre-release copy of Windows 8, and not the RETAIL version. If this is the case, you won't experience the problems that I have experienced. My Shuttle system has definitely undergone a BIOS change during Windows 8 install (actually, I did an upgrade with the $39.95 retail upgrade.) As I mentioned earlier, my system locks up WITH NO HARD DRIVE INSTALLED, while trying to do a clean install of Windows 7 from CD/ROM. Installation of Windows XP causes the "blue screen of death".

It doesn't seem likely that this problem is unique to the Shuttle SH67H3, but Shuttle's support department and MS's support department have been unable to fix the issue. BIOS re-flash procedures have NOT restored the legacy BIOS, which is probably unique to Shuttle on this one system. It's nice that their Bare bone systems also have a 3 year warranty.

Its not even that big of a deal not having a start menu. Can put anything you need quick access to either on desktop or the bottom bar. I've learned to live with it. I missed it at first but now that I haven't had it in a while, no problem.

I purchased Start8 for 4.99 on a laptop that I recently picked up from Wal-Mart. It's the HP Envy6-1129WM(Click) and only comes with Windows 8. Great little laptop, highly recommend!

Start8 is the best utility I've bought in years, it gave me a chance to bring back the start button and get used to the differences in Windows 8 vs. 7. If anything...it helped to ease the transition...Metro isn't all that bad once you get rid of all the pre-installed junk. I don't really use it much, but once there are a lot of apps, I could see myself using it more.

If a person doesn't like Metro in 8, get them this little program...works perfectly.

Why does everyone who likes Win8 think that the people who don't like it just jumped on the bandwagon of haters, this notion pisses me off, I bought Win8 I ran it for a month and uninstalled it.

I gave it a really good going over and even replaced my 6+ month old Windows 7 installation, completely made the switch used a classic start menu and still did not like it, there are things that are too unnecessary, it's not intuitive, it still opens some files with metro apps by default, the metro store is lacking, the metro apps are buggy, it wasn't as stable as my Win7 install and I got regular crashes and reboots etc etc

Needless to say I gave it as much of a chance as I could have, I have now gone back to Windows 7 and not had a single issue, I could care less there's no SP2 for Win7, it is optimised, intuitive and stable, the only time I see myself upgrading to Windows 8 is if DX12 brings something significant to the table, which I can't see happening.

I have always been an MS OS early adopter, I ran Windows XP on a PII 266mhz with 256MB RAM for a long time and ran Vista when it was BETA all the way through to release when I bought it, until Windows 7 was released, I had no issues with either unlike Windows 8.

But to each their own, I'm not saying because I didn't like it nor should anyone else, likewise the people who do like it should stop assuming people who don't have not used it and are just repeating what others have said. If the same arguments keep coming up for and against it it stands to reason that they are valid arguments and some people are going to dislike it.

Why does everyone who likes Win8 think that the people who don't like it just jumped on the bandwagon of haters, this notion pisses me off, I bought Win8 I ran it for a month and uninstalled it.

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I don't think that. I think the people who dislike Win 8 are lazy and don't like trying to figure out new things. Give Linux a shot. After that go back to Windows 8, then you can talk to me about how much work it is to figure things out.

Microsoft has done its own implementation of secure boot for reasons it refuses to divulge; the public statements are that it is done for the security of users. A process of matching of cryptographic keys takes place at boot-time to ensure that one is booting a genuine copy of Windows 8 and that it has not been tampered with.

All Windows 8 PCs or laptops that are sold by grey-box or other dealers come with secure boot turned on. This means that one cannot install another operating system, either to replace Windows or as an addition, on the same box. Not unless the operating system can boot on a box that is configured for secure boot. Else, one has to get into the UEFI BIOS and turn off secure boot. This is possible on the x86 platform.

Motherboard manufacturers appear to be loath to use the term "secure boot" on their packaging; ASUS has a "Windows 8 ready" sticker on some boxes, with an instruction that readiness may depend on the updating of the BIOS or the installation of drivers.

My guess is that you are using a pre-release copy of Windows 8, and not the RETAIL version. If this is the case, you won't experience the problems that I have experienced. My Shuttle system has definitely undergone a BIOS change during Windows 8 install (actually, I did an upgrade with the $39.95 retail upgrade.) As I mentioned earlier, my system locks up WITH NO HARD DRIVE INSTALLED, while trying to do a clean install of Windows 7 from CD/ROM. Installation of Windows XP causes the "blue screen of death".

It doesn't seem likely that this problem is unique to the Shuttle SH67H3, but Shuttle's support department and MS's support department have been unable to fix the issue. BIOS re-flash procedures have NOT restored the legacy BIOS, which is probably unique to Shuttle on this one system. It's nice that their Bare bone systems also have a 3 year warranty.

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Are you saying this relates to just store bought computers like Dell and HP, etc?
I don't think you mean this to relate to what most of us use here @ TPU...custom built by the owner machines.
Correct me if I mis-understand.
I have uninstalled a RETAIL version of Windows 8 Pro because I just grew to flat out HATE it after some unpleasant and serious issues I experienced with it..(look at my past posts for that info)
I had zero issues getting rid of Windows 8 and installing Windows 7 x 64 to my harddrive.
There was NO bios change done by 8. I never saw a BIOS re-flash procedure attempt try to happen.
I still have my original BIOS version on my Asus mobo.
PS: I donated my Windows 8 Pro CDs to a local charity and THEY didn't even want them..lol. I had to beg them to take them.
I didn't think they would be so up on computer related stuff at the Salvation Army.

I don't think that. I think the people who dislike Win 8 are lazy and don't like trying to figure out new things. Give Linux a shot. After that go back to Windows 8, then you can talk to me about how much work it is to figure things out.

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Well done skim readin my post and part quoting it exactly my point about people who like Win8, you sound like a fanboy hating on me because I don't agree with you

Just as a little FYI my pentium 3 HP is running Ubuntu and has been for 3 years of which I have had no issues with, so your argument is fail as I never said I couldn't figure it out, I said it's not as good/optimised, stable or intuitive as previous versions of Windows.

My guess is that you are using a pre-release copy of Windows 8, and not the RETAIL version. If this is the case, you won't experience the problems that I have experienced. My Shuttle system has definitely undergone a BIOS change during Windows 8 install (actually, I did an upgrade with the $39.95 retail upgrade.) As I mentioned earlier, my system locks up WITH NO HARD DRIVE INSTALLED, while trying to do a clean install of Windows 7 from CD/ROM. Installation of Windows XP causes the "blue screen of death".

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Nope, I'm using retail discs:

Just for testing I installed W7 on my HTPC (currently using W8 on it) on a spare drive. No problems downgrading.